Elon Musk's Tesla Cited By OSHA Over Death Of Electrician At Giga Texas: Report

U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has reportedly cited EV giant Tesla Inc. TSLA for violating workplace safety regulations in relation to the electrocution of Victor Gomez Sr last year.

What Happened: The worker was electrocuted last summer at the company’s gigafactory in Texas and the investigation into the incident is now closed and citations have been issued, Reuters reported, citing the U.S. Department of Labor which oversees OSHA.

However, the department did not detail the nature of the company’s failures in terms of workplace safety, the report said, while adding that it is not known whether any penalties were also issued.

Gomez Sr was an electrician working as a contractor at Tesla and he was killed on Aug. 1 while inspecting electrical panels at the site. His family subsequently filed a lawsuit against the EV company alleging that the panel was powered up though it was supposed to be inactive.

Why It Matters: Tesla’s gigafactory in Texas is the company’s global headquarters and covers 2500 acres along the Colorado River. The company makes its best-selling Model Y SUV as well as its latest offering- the Cybertruck- at the factory.

The factory has a combined installed annual vehicle capacity of over 375,000 vehicles currently. The company’s two-seater Cybercab, a dedicated robotaxi with no pedal or steering wheel, is in development at the factory and preparation is underway at the factory before the company starts its production in 2026.

According to the report, Tesla was cited and fined $7000 for two workplace safety violations at the factory in Texas in 2024.

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